Releasing Your Heart
by arisu-the-pink
Summary: Sesshoumaru seeks to unbalance Inuyasha by giving him a gift Kikyou alive. Now he must set Kagome free, but has he made the right choice? I&Kik, I&Kag in that order
1. Sesshomaru's Gift

Author's notes: This story is almost 100% complete, aside from a small but significant scene in chapter 4 that I need to finish. The rating on this is PG, but there is a somewhat lemony epilogue that will be made available on my website. If you are interested in that portion, feel free to email me and I will send you the link when I have posted the whole of this story.

I will attempt to post a new chapter each day, though I have to proof them for spelling and sometimes life gets in the way. As usuall, reviewers are a fanfic author's cheerleaders and I won't deny that it helps to have a few fans egging you on.

This was the first fiction I wrote, though not the first one I posted, so please bear that in mind if you find OOC-ness. :-)

The disclaimer: Of course, Inuyasha and all related characters, settings, episode references are not mine, but the wonderful brain child of Rumiko Takahashi. I seek no profit, only a way to express my own soul through her works. Thank you.

And without further ado:

****

Releasing Your Heart

by arisu-the-pink

Drip. 

Drip. 

His amber eyes opened with a start. 

Drip. 

The early morning dew fell gently from the leaves of his oak hideaway, the sound nevertheless jarring to his sensitive youkai ears. It was not the dew, however, that piqued Inuyasha's senses. Her scent was strong, and as familiar to him as his own. She was very near. 

He glanced around the campsite beneath him. Sango and Miroku lay in their bedrolls beside Kirara, the demon cat providing a pillow for her mistress and the monk. Below him, Shippou curled up against Kagome. Inuyasha hopped down beside her, leaning in to search her face. Her eyes were relaxed, peaceful. She would remain asleep. Slowly, quietly, he backed away from the camp before turning towards the tangle of trees and breaking into a swift run. He had to follow her scent. 

* * * *

"Kikyou-oneesama." Kaede squinted her eyes at the figure that stood opposite. Could this be her? The expected soul stealers were nowhere in sight and the aura that surrounded this being was human and alive. 

Kikyou looked past her sister into the fire of her hearth, the flickering flames reflected in her eyes. 

"You are --" 

"Back. Yes." She moved her gaze toward her hands, which were closed tightly over some object. "My soul was sent back into my body." 

Kaede's eyes widened. _How can this be?_

Kikyou continued to stare at her hands as Kaede moved slowly into a sitting position, never taking her gaze off of her older sister's form. Finally breaking from the trance that seemed to hold her, Kikyo took a position on the floor across from Kaede and drifted off into her memories. 

"Naraku had summoned me from a nearby village where I was tending wounded soldiers. As I made my way through the forest, I sensed strong youki. The sacred arrow I sent into the darkness hit upon metal, and in the next moment the sword's bearer came into the moonlight."

__

"It is you," Sesshomaru noted coldly. "the dead priestess who holds my foolish brother's heart." Kikyou reached for another arrow, but was stopped by his hand on her arm. His movement was swift.

"Inuyasha's weakness for humans will be his death, I will see to that. But the girl -- his companion -- she is more troublesome than her appearance." He looked into Kikyou's eyes with intent. "What are you to him?" 

"I am the ghost of his past." Kikyou offered him no more.

"You hold a piece of the girl's soul. If I were to dispatch you into the next world -- Inuyasha would surely follow. Sorrow can be a source of strength, but it can blind as well." Sesshomaru pushed her away, and reached for the hilt of Tensaiga, swinging it before she could react.

Kaede's forehead knit in consternation. "Kikyou-oneesama, the Tenseiga is a sword of life, not death."

"He did not aim to kill." 

Kikyou felt the blood pulsing in her veins, her breath was heated. Real. Alive. Upon opening her eyes, she found Sesshomaru staring down at her with a hint of pride. 

"Yes, he would follow you into hell; but I want him weakened. The girl weakens him. Your existence will weaken him further."

"Sesshomaru gave you back your life... to cripple Inuyasha?"

Kikyo did not answer, but turned toward the entrance of Kaede's hut. "Inuyasha." 

His eyes fixed on her, his chest heaving with exhaustion. _Her scent is stronger._ "So it's true." 

"Inuyasha." 

Slowly, Kikyou closed the distance between them, meeting his eyes with a gaze of her own. Wordlessly, Inuyasha drew her into his arms, closing his eyes to savor the feel of her warmth and the long absent cherry blossom scent of her hair. Time stood still for them, broken only a gentle coughing from Kaede. 

"Where have you left your comrades?" Kaede questioned him stoically. 

He suddenly felt a heated rush suffuse his body. _Kagome._ Kikyou felt his arms withdraw from her as he backed toward the door. She watched in silence as he turned and retreated toward the edge of the village. 

* * * *

*WHAP!* 

Miroku snapped up from his prostrate position and glared side to side, seeking the source of his rude awakening. Sango rolled over, her back now to him, still lying comfortably in her bed roll. She wore a rare smile of satisfaction.

"Who did it?!" 

Shippou, unable to hold it in any longer, burst into peels of laughter. "Miroku, you were snoring!" 

Blushing bright red, the monk sat quickly back onto his blanket, crossing his arms in front of him. "Violence is not the answer," he pouted. 

"But you did stop snoring," Shippou facetiously pointed out. He smiled up at Kagome, as she wiped the sleepiness from her eyes. "Shippou, that was a mean trick to pull on Miroku-sama." 

Shippou's smile turned into a frown and he leapt up to her shoulder. "It wasn't me, Kagome. Sango slapped him!" 

Kagome sighed, and looked around the camp, suddenly realizing his absence. The others began relaxing back into their beds as Kagome stood and walked toward the small nearby stream. She cupped her hands for a drink of its fresh, cold water before sitting back and looking at the night sky. The dawn was fast approaching and they would have to set out again. The Shikon-no-tama was still far from complete, at least the portion they had. There was no doubt that Naraku's piece was far closer to finished, meaning his powers were nearing their peak. Time was not their friend.

__

Inuyasha, where are you? 

* * * *

The sun started rising above the distant hills, gleaming through the treetops. Sparkles of the orange sun descended upon Inuyasha's silver hair, his head bowed to the ground. 

I promised my life to Kikyou, I can't just take that back. 

"KEH!" 

He slammed a fist into the ground, sending up a flurry of pebbles and dust. Sesshomaru had indeed bestowed a mixed blessing. Kagome... he loved Kagome. Her heart was pure and she'd stood beside him more loyal than anyone he'd ever encountered. Yet Kikyou -- her life had been stolen by evil, and Inuyasha's own life suspended for fifty years. Surely it was no coincidence, their meeting again no older than the day Naraku separated them. Neither one having experienced the passage of the years. Fate must have had a hand in this.

"Inuyasha-sama," Myouga appeared on his lord's shoulder, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Kikyou sealed you to the tree. She was fast to believe you would betray her, while Kagome gave you her trust and freed you." 

Inuyasha glared at the flea. "Baka! I know what happened, I was there." _But it wasn't Kikyou's fault. She was mortally wounded, having barely the strength to come after me. She didn't have time to second-guess._

__

Kagome and Kikyou have the same soul. But Kikyou belongs in this time. Kagome -- 

The image of her tears as she leapt to rip him from the demon spider's web rushed to his memory. She'd cried for him, and protected him at his weakest moment. She'd also cried often at his angry words. She didn't deserve to be hurt. He didn't want to hurt her.

Inuyasha looked up to watch the sun emerge completely from the hills. The decision was made. He rose. _Kagome will find peace. I'll see to that._. Walking towards the village, Inuyasha realized his heart was still heavy. 

* * * *

Kikyou was closing a small red pouch as Inuyasha approached her. "Are you here to say your goodbyes?" she questioned stoically, putting the pouch down beside her and seeking his eyes.

"No." Inuyasha took her hand in his own, finally meeting her gaze. "I made you a promise, Kikyou, and I won't back away from my word. I will speak with Kagome." 

Kikyou exhaled, her breath moving the hair from Inuyasha's forehead. She touched his cheek, gently, and met his lips in a chaste but lingering kiss. "Inuyasha..." She breathed his name into him, further awakening his senses. After a moment, they broke apart, arms embracing. "We must first return the piece of her soul that I held in my body," Kikyou finally spoke. "At the moment Sesshomaru returned me to life, my soul in this time was without a body, floating in the other world. Tensaiga recalled it to me, and pushed out the other." 

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. Kikyou I must go alone. I cannot throw my choice in her face."

Closing her eyes in understanding, Kikyou backed away and reached for the red pouch she'd abandoned. "Then give this to her. She need only touch the jewel inside and her soul will rejoin its body." Accepting the soul, Inuyasha brushed her arm. "I will return to you tonight, Kikyo-chan." Then he turned away, again leaving the village.


	2. An Emptiness Inside

Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

****

Releasing Your Heart: An Emptiness Inside

by arisu-the-pink

Kagome paced, Sango sighed, and Mikoku stirred the pot of breakfast grain.

"Kagome-chan, I'm sure he will return soon, please try to relax." Sango poured a ladle from the pot of simmering food into a bowl and held it out to the pacing girl. Kagome accepted it reluctantly. "You'll need a good breakfast before we set out for Mount Hakurei."

"Miroku's cooking isn't quite as good as yours, Kagome," Shippou piped up, "but for a man, it's pretty decent."

"Hey!" Miroku's eyes narrowed at his wounded pride. "If you'd prefer to do the cooking from now on--" he shook the ladel at the small fox, "then feel free."

"I think I'll go take a bath," Kagome announced, leaving her uneaten porridge on a tree stump. _If I have to wait here for him to return, at least I can clean off the grease from my hair._

She strolled down the stream until she came to a fairly secluded and sheltered section before removing all but her undergarments. Her modesty was tempered by the knowledge that Miroku was busy with breakfast, and Sango would notice if he left camp for a peeping expedition. She stepped into the chilled water, cringing as it crept higher and higher toward her breasts, and gave a small squeal as the sensitive tissue there was completely submerged. Taking a deep breath, she dove under the water. _What could Inuyasha be doing,_ she wondered. 

Her question was answered when she rose above the water's surface. 

"INUYASHA!" 

He turned away quickly feeling heat rising to his face and, to his chagrin, other regions of his body. 

"I didn't come to peep at you so don't sit me," he growled. 

Kagome softened, then climbed from the water's edge to find her clothes. She hadn't thought to bring a towel, so she resigned herself to wearing moist clothing. "I wasn't going to," she answered him.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and turned slightly, relieved to see that she was fully clothed even if her shirt clung to her skin in a very enticing manner. _Don't go there,_ Inuyasha warned himself. Jumping down from his perch in a nearby tree, he put his hands on his hips. "I need to speak to you. In private."

Kagome glanced around them, confused. "I don't see anyone here..." 

Taking her arm, Inuyasha fairly dragged her off toward a group of trees. "It's too close," he huffed, "I don't want anyone interrupting." 

__

Interrupting what? 

He stopped at the center of a small clearing surrounded by dark trees. Kagome recognized this place from the first night Inuyasha's human form was revealed to her. The memory of that night and her fear for his life sent butterflies into her stomach, and her heart beat rapidly. 

After releasing her hand, Inuyasha took a few steps away, leaving her alone at the center of the clearing. _I should have thought about the words first,_ he realized. _Too late for that now. Just get it over with, quickly, before you lose your nerve._

"Inu--" 

"Kagome, quiet." He regretted the harsh timbre when he heard her gasp. This was not the time to be rude. 

He wanted to be strong. To tell her face-to-face and show her his resolve, leaving her no doubt and no confusion. He wanted her to move on with a clear conscience even if he had to be cruel to accomplish that goal. At that moment however, he could not look at her. "I was with Kikyou," he spoke so quietly it was almost a whisper. Inuyasha paused, awaiting her reprisal or the familiar raging _"Osuwari!"_

She remained silent. 

The stillness between them spread like Naraku's jaki, forcing Inuyasha to continue. "Kikyou... is alive again."

"I already know that," Kagome shot back, barely concealing her irritation. 

"No, I mean, she has been fully restored." When Kagome did not respond, Inuyasha finally turned to see her. The revelation slowly revealed itself in her expression as a wash of understanding, then fear, then anger before melting back into complacency. He was dumbfounded. 

"Then," Kagome began slowly, "you two can finally be together as you were meant to be." She let the words hang in the air between them for a while, both pondering their full impact. Before he realized it, Kagome was standing directly before him, gazing into his eyes. 

"I always knew this day would come," she admitted sadly. "As I told you beside the Bone Eater's Well, I cannot hope to compete with Kikyou. I want to be with you--" 

"You still can!" Inuyasha interrupted, unable to escape the hold she had on his eyes. 

"--but it would be wrong," she finished. Inuyasha felt his heart stop, finally admitting to himself the truth in her words. He continued to hold fast in her gaze, and came to a startling realization. 

__

This is Kagome. I don't see Kikyou in her eyes, I see only Kagome.

Before, unbidden, a part of him always sought out the familiarity of Kikyou's features in her younger reincarnation. Her dark hair, the shine of her eyes, or the way her lips were just so. _Maybe I am making a mistake..._

Kagome released him from the trance, stepping back and turning her stare toward the ground. "I will want to say goodbye to Shippo-chan, Sango-chan and Miroku-sama," she stated firmly. "And I will have Sango-chan bring the shards to Kaede. She can decide their fate." _She will give them to Kikyou,_ Kagome thought to herself as she realized that Kikyou would likely be taking her place on the journey.

As if he'd read her mind, Inuyasha's eyes widened and he took hold of her arm almost painfully. "You don't -- you don't have to go," he offered meekly. "Your archery skills are improving, you're always cheering up the others and I'll mis-"

He stopped. That was close. "I'll miss having ramen for dinner," he covered.

Pulling her arm from his grasp drew a small amount of blood from Inuyasha's sharp claws. Kagome was shocked by the open and almost passionate way Inuyasha was speaking to her. 

"We should return to the camp," she said simply, turning toward the edge of the clearing. "You all have quite a journey ahead and you should set out before the noon sun." Sparing not a glance in the hanyou's direction, Kagome took off at a fast pace, praying he could not smell the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. _I will not cry in front of him,_ she vowed. 

"Kagome, wait," Inuyasha called after her, a hint of annoyance touching his formerly softened tone. _Why is she so calm? I thought she promised to stay with me until the end? Keh, maybe I was right after all._

She stopped, turning swiftly around. "What?" She too was annoyed. _Why does he have to drag this out? He's getting what he wants, does he want to see me cry too?_

Inuyasha tossed the red velvet bag at her, then crossed his arms in a defiant pose. "That's the rest of your soul," he revealed casually, as though speaking of the bag itself. "Kikyo has her own, yours was released. All you have to do is touch it."

Kagome looked down at the small pouch before gingerly opening its tie and peering inside. Her soul looked -- it looked like the Shikon-no-tama, which made sense. After all, the Jewel of the Four Souls was just that -- a jewel of souls. This particular orb was a bit smaller. She closed the bag again, took in a deep breath and studied the hanyou standing several yards away. The petulant glare on his face remained. "Send Kikyo my regards, Inuyasha." Then she continued on her way. 

* * * *

"Kagome-chan," Sango hugged the younger girl tightly, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Don't go!" pled Shippou. His face then screwed into one of childish anger. "That jerk has to let you stay! You're part of our pack!" 

Kagome smiled sadly, patting him on the head. "He didn't ask me to leave, Shippo-chan. It's just something I have to do. Kikyou is an expert miko. She'll be far more helpful in gathering the shards." 

"Let me come with you, then," the kitsune begged. "I'll be good, I promise." 

Kagome indulged the idea for a moment, considering how nice it would be to have something left of her adventures. After all, the young fox demon had no parents and saw her as his mother. In the end, common sense won out. "I'm sorry, Shippou, but that just isn't possible. Sango-chan will take good care of you, right?" 

Sango nodded, and opened up her arms for the little fox. "Come Shippou-chan, let's be brave now." 

He skulked away from Kagome, leaving only Miroku to say his good-byes. "You are making a wise decision," the monk sagely answered her unspoken question. He held out a hand to her, the formality melting into friendship. "Take care of yourself, Kagome-sama. We'll keep an eye on him for you." Kagome realized he wasn't referring to Shippou, but to Inuyasha.

"Thank you," she whispered. _Only one thing left to do._ Reopening the velvet pouch, Kagome poured it's sole content into her palm, and waited. At first, nothing happened, and she worried that her soul was refusing to join her again. Moments later however, the orb started to glow and pulsate gently, and a mote of white light sailed from the sky toward her. She closed her eyes as the soul entered her body through the heart, opening them again after the light died. She still felt empty.

The well beckoned. Reaching for her backpack, Kagome jumped into it's depth for the last time.

* * * *

The campfire was the only animated thing in the camp that night. Sango idly stroked Kirara's fur, but the demon cat did not purr. Miroku stared into the jumping flames, his expression unreadable and Shippou napped in a tree branch above the trio.

"He didn't even see her off," Sango noted with a hint of annoyance. 

"I'm sure they said their goodbyes," Miroku replied. "He probably felt it would be easier this way." He paused, eyebrows knit in consternation. "Sango, we may have to continue on our own. Inuyasha has not returned since last night; it's possible he will stay behind with Kikyou." 

Sango nodded slightly. "Kagome seemed to think Kikyou would simply take her place. If she does, I'm not sure if I could--" she hesitated, choosing her words carefully, "it would feel like a betrayal," she finally finished. "But we have a long journey ahead, and even together we aren't strong enough to fight Naraku alone." 

"If he still wants the Shikon-no-tama and revenge against Naraku, then Inuyasha will set out again. Should he ask us to join him, I will not refuse." Miroku threw the branch he'd been tending the fire with into the blaze. "Besides, I promised Kagome we would watch over him." 

The humans each stood and retreated from the fire to their own bedrolls, the sadness of the day weakening their bodies. Shippou, who'd only been feigning sleep, sniffled back a tear. His stomach protested his skipped dinner, but the kitsune ignored the rumble. Kagome was gone forever, and he had no desire to see her replacement. Yet, he would be alone in the world without the rest of his friends, and knew that he would follow wherever they went. _Kagome, please come back_, he whimpered to the stars above him. _We miss you so much_. The sky refused to answer, and eventually sleep took him from the conscious world again.


	3. The Search Continues

Notes and Q&A:

No real notes today, just a heartfelt thank you to my reviewers. I've been going through a situation not unlike Kagome's with an "ex" of mine and getting such kind responses really lifts my spirits.

tsunami-chan -- You asked how many chapters the story will contain -- I have a total of nine on my computer, plus an NC-17 epilogue that is not vital to the story (therefore will not be posted on fan fiction.net, I'll have to provide the location later). The total may change as I go through the editing process as there are a few parts I'd like to expand upon.

On with the story!

****

Releasing Your Heart: The Search Continues

by arisu-the-pink

Several days had passed since Kagome jumped down the Bone Eater's Well. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou gathered their things in a stifling silence, while Inuyasha spoke to Kikyou a distance away. 

"I don't want you to come," Inuyasha was saying to the miko. "If something should happen to you so soon after getting you back --"

"Fate will deal her hand whether I go with you or not," Kikyou interrupted calmly. "Without the girl, you cannot detect the Shikon-no-Tama. I can." 

Her logic was infallible, of course. Inuyasha grumbled. "Fine, but stay out of the way and make sure you take your bow. If you do something stupid..." his voice trailed off at the annoyed look on Kikyou's face. Of course, she never did anything stupid. Kikyou was the most level-headed of the six now. He turned toward his companions.

"Miroku, Sango, Shippou! Are you packed?" 

The houshi and demon exterminator nodded, and Shippou climbed onto Kirara with their packs. "If Kagome comes back," he started, but was hushed by a look from Sango.

"Not in front of Inuyasha," she reminded him. In a softer voice, praying that the hanyou's sensitive ears wouldn't hear, she added, "if she returns, Kaede will be sure to keep her company until we return. Now calm down."

Finally ready, all six of the group started toward the western horizon, each considering the battles they knew were up ahead.

* * * *

The serpent seemed to spit blood, and it splattered like hot ash on their faces. Miroku guarded himself with his staff, Sango standing only meters away with hiraikotsu ready for launch. On the other side of thedemon, Inuyasha slashed yet a second wound into the beast, distracting it from the humans.

"Feh! Are you afraid to strike youkai, beast?" He shouted as it turned its head rapidly in his direction, fangs gleaming.

Inuyasha jumped quickly out of striking distance, glancing off of tree branches. He was tiring, but had to lead the serpent away from his friends. In an opportune moment, he jumped beneath a tangle of bushes, gaining firm footing.

"Inuyasha!" Kikyou's voice called to him from a distance, her bow leveled for use. "It's in the tail!"

The tail was within reach. Inuyasha smirked, his eyes narrowing. _This will be easy,_ he gloated. "Sankon Te--"

"INUYASHA!"

The serpent lunged at his voice, cutting off the attack before it began. Inuyasha felt the searing heat on his right arm before he saw the blood gush forth. "Damn you!" He growled, holding up Tessaiga with his other arm, blocking a second lunge.

Suddenly, the demon hissed. The hanyou was no longer in focus as it felt its tail pinned to the ground. A white light emanated from the arrow plunged within the youkai's scales and swept slowly up it's body. The forest was in a wash of blinding light until moments later an explosion of reptile pieces announced the danger was over.

Kikyou slid down from her position on a precipice and walked toward the aura she felt. Finding the shard among a pile of leaves and blood, she lifted it into her palm. The purple tainted glass turned white at the contact. "Are you injured?" she asked the hanyou who hobbled in her direction.

"Only my arm. We'll take care of it later." Inuyasha glanced about the trees, seeking the others. "Everyone else okay?" 

"We're fine," Miroku answered. "The shard?"

"I have it," Kikyou answered as she placed it into the glass container her sister had given her. "We should return to the village now and tend to Inuyasha's wounds." Without a further word, she led the way out of the damp woods, the rest following behind in silence. 

* * * *

"OUCH you--" Inuyasha bit back the rest of his invective, knowing Kikyou wouldn't respond well to being called 'wench'. She was wiping his wound carefully, but still it stung as though she were rubbing it with tree bark. 

Kaede was starting a stew in the next room while the others hunted for rabbit. It would be a late dinner -- the sun had already fallen below the horizon. In the firelight from the hearth, Kikyou was now wrapping clean linen around Inuyasha's right arm, carefully tucking the knot up from the bottom to keep it bound. "Finished. I'm going to check on Aimi, she has given birth today." 

Kikyou was stopped by a hand on her arm, weak but insistent. "Wait, Kikyou," Inuyasha gazed up at her, "this is the first time we've been alone since you came back to me. The others will return soon." He didn't know exactly what it was he wanted from her. Perhaps her body, or a kiss, or maybe -- maybe even just her presence. For a little while. He didn't want to be left alone.

Kikyou sighed, and leaned forward, brushing a chaste kiss on the hanyou's forehead. "I have duties to perform, Inuyasha. We will be together for the rest of our lives, is that not enough?" 

He released her wrist and sat back, closing his eyes to hide his disappointment. "Yes, of course. Go and take care of the baby." _At least,_ he told himself, _I know that she will be a good mother._ The idea warmed him even as he pushed the giddiness away with a grunt.

She left him silently, taking the bowl of mashed herbs from his poultice with her. Inuyasha lay back on the firm wood of the hut, and stared at its ceiling. Somehow, something wasn't quite right. Kikyou should have been overjoyed to be with him, shouldn't she? After all, it was all either of them had wanted, to be together for all eternity. Even in her resurrected form, before Sesshoumaru restored her, she made him promise to join her in the afterlife after avenging her. So why was there this dark cloud hovering over them?

We're still adjusting, Inuyasha reasoned to himself. _When the Shikon-no-Tama is restored, all that will be left is us and we can begin our lives together. She will be a normal woman raising our children, and I'll be a normal man, hunting for our dinner and building our home in this village. We will be happy at last, our souls at peace._

He sat back up again and rose to his feet. _Yeah, we'll be just fine._ The scent from Kaede's stewpot called to him, and Inuyasha heeded its voice.

* * * *

"Only one so far, can you believe it?" Miroku slung the rabbit over his shoulder and walked over to where Sango was peering through a bush. Her rear end was swaying, tantalizing, before him and he couldn't resist just a small little --

SMACK!

The monk rubbed his head where the taijiya had slapped him. _Ah, but it was worth it._

Sango glared at him. "See? Even the forest animals are afraid of your wandering hands, houshi-sama. That's why we can't find enough for our dinner." She sighed. Normally their banter would lend its fire to her spirit but the events of the last couple of days still bore down on her soul. "Do you think. is Kagome going to be ok?"

Miroku closed his eyes in contemplation. "She did what had to be done, Sango. Kagome is with family and friends in her own world. We can only hope that her heart will heal with time." Opening his eyes, he offered his companion a warm smile. "She is stronger than she appears, the pain will not last forever."

Nodding, Sango turned away from her hiding spot and tucked her drawn katana back into its scabbard. "Shippou," she called out to the wandering kitsune, "we're heading back to the village, come on."

The young fox scampered up to the couple and they walked together, silent again. Sango looked up at the night sky as the stars started appearing one by one. _She is a strong young woman,_ Sango noted wistfully. _I envy her iron will and pure heart. Even though Miroku has never given me anything other than friendship, I can feel the clenching of my heart when he looks at the village maidens. Were I in Kagome's place, I would fall apart._

"Kikyou sure is quiet, isn't she?" Shippou interrupted the contemplative silence the three had enjoyed, hopping up to Miroku's shoulder. "After we got the Shikon shard today, she didn't say anything the whole way back."

"None of us did," Sango noted quietly. "I actually miss the snide comments and the 'sits'. At least I felt--" she didn't know how to put her feelings into words.

"Alive." Miroku finished her thought for her. "Yes, I have been feeling the same way. Kikyou-sama may be flesh-and-blood, but her spirit is cold. Perhaps it comes from being alone for so long. She has forgotten how to enjoy the company of others."

"Well it's creepy," Shippou deadpanned. "I feel like I'm visiting a graveyard when I'm around her."

They'd approached the edge of the village when Sango stopped suddenly and turned to face the kitsune. "Shippou, I want to remind you again: do not speak of Kagome in front of Inuyasha. He hasn't mentioned her name since that day and I don't want anymore weirdness. Soon enough we will defeat Naraku and then this will all be over. Understood?"

Shippou nodded, placing a hand over his heart gravely. "I promise."


	4. Completion of the Shikon Jewel

Notes:

As usual, thanks to my kind reviewers for your support. For some reason this chapter came across as choppy and bland, no matter how much editing I did. Hopefully I'm the only one who thinks so but I assure you even if it is, there will be better chapters to follow, so hang in there!

slant-eyes03: yes, the story is complete on my computer. In fact, the chapter below is the only one I hadn't finished because I am very poor at writing action scenes and chose to put it off until the end. The lemony part is between… ha ha -- it's a secret. But I think you can guess. :-)

tsunami-chan(): glad you liked that part; I'm not entirely sure where it came from but that was the picture I wanted to paint.

Disclaimers in chapter one.

****

Releasing Your Heart: Completion of the Shikon-no-Tama

by arisu-the-pink

"SANKON TETSUSOU!" 

Inuyasha slashed, and another demon was demolished as easily as one night squash a gnat. He wiped his hands on his haori and looked at the miko now standing beside him.

"The crow didn't have any shards," she finally announced after a scan of the clearing. "Its power came from somewhere else. Possibly Naraku."

"A puppet," Sango sighed. She moved back to where she'd been sitting before the crow attacked, soon followed by the others. Inuyasha jumped up into his watch point -- a gnarled but stately oak hanging over them.

"We will have to obtain more of the shards before attacking him," Miroku was saying as Inuyasha closed his eyes. The hanyou had stretched himself on one of the upper branches, ready to rest after their day's long walk. Below him around the campfire Sango, Miroku, and Kikyou were now discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. Naraku's defeat was near. 

Sango peered thoughtfully into the jumping flames. "If we go after his attachments, Naraku will likely come after us regardless. Then what?" 

"We will fight him," Kikyou answered simply. "That battle is fated, whether we go to him or he comes to us. Having more or less shards will not affect him as much as you suggest," she directed to the monk. 

"Naraku's power comes as much from the demons he's absorbed as from the magic of the jewel," Sango agreed. "Having shards of our own will give him that much more incentive to surprise attack, not to mention any other demons we pass." 

Shippou shivered next to Kirara. Naraku was one scary hanyou. The little fox didn't want to meet him again, although he would never leave his friends. They were the only family he had. 

__

Even Kikyou, he thought to himself. _She's not so bad, even if she never laughs. Actually, the only ones who do laugh are Sango, Miroku and me. When Kikyou and Inuyasha are gone, then it's almost like old times. I wonder what they do when they go off on their own..._

"Shippou!" Sango tapped the kitsune lightly, handing him a small fish-kabob, "you need to eat more, you've been growing taller these last few months."

Standing proudly, Shippou stuck out his chest. "I'm gonna be big and strong like Inuyasha. Wonder what Kagome would say if she saw me now!" 

Miroku took in a sharp breath, sharing a glance with Sango and then peering up into the tree above them. It was the first time anyone had spoken her name in Inuyasha's presence in almost a year.

There was no response among the leaves. Sango sighed in quiet relief. Perhaps they'd overestimated his feelings for the girl. Maybe he truly had moved on. "I'm sure she would be proud of you, Shippou."

Kikyou continued to stare into the fire, missing the entire exchange. Her mind was focused: Naraku had to be defeated.

As the fire died down, the humans and smaller demons drifted off into a much-needed rest. Inuyasha crept from his branch and stalked quickly off into the night, the dim light of the full moon guiding him toward an empty cliff. Once reaching a comfortable place among the grasses, he pulled a small rectangular object from his haori, placing it in front of him.

The book was pink, slightly worn and dog-eared on several pages. He sniffed the air around it. It still bore her scent. Inuyasha opened to the first page, carefully, as though it were the holiest of texts. 

__

...he never seems to be afraid of anything. 

The words were inscribed with a feminine hand. 

... Even when Mama thought a burglar had broken into our house, he charged right in and took his katana from the office. There was no burgler, but if there had been, Daddy would have scared him away. He always protected us, and I really miss him a lot. 

Inuyasha closed his eyes and let his hand rest on the diary. Kagome never spoke of her father before. He'd almost wondered if she had one. She did, and she missed him. Inuyasha read the story of his life and death several times already on nights like this one. Lonely nights, when he missed her voice and wished he could see her face just one more time. When the world around him lay silent and sleep refused to take him.

__

Why do I still keep thinking about her? he mused to himself, finally opening his eyes to the clear, star-filled sky above. _I did what I had to do -- I kept my promise to Kikyou. It feels wrong, holding on to this piece of Kagome. I should be with Kikyou now, sleeping by her side. We should be planning our future together._

A gust of wind swept past him, for once carrying no evil scents. Inuyasha relished the moment of calm. _Kagome and I would fight all the time. She was infuriating, stupid, and childish. Kikyou is a true woman. She knows how to heal wounds, has a sense of responsibility and is very good with a bow. Kagome could barely target a tree if it was two feet in front of her._ A small chuckle escaped his throat at the image of the young woman stamping her feet beside a fallen arrow. _She would always try, though, and she made us laugh. We never laugh anymore._

He picked up the book, flipping toward the back pages. 

__

I know father would worry about me in Sengoku Jidai. He always said I was too headstrong and would end up hurt, but I think he'd be proud of my spirit. I hope one day I meet a man just like him.

"I would have liked to know Kagome's father," Inuyasha realized aloud. "He sounds like a great person. For a human, anyway." 

The nightingales ceased chirping, and soon the sun would begin to rise in the eastern sky. Inuyasha tucked the secret book back into his haori and dashed toward camp, praying no one had noticed his absence. 

* * * *

"EEK!" Shippou flashed past Sango and attached himself to Kirara's tail, grabbing on for dear life. The taijiya jumped out and blocked the blades that were aimed at the kitsune. "Shippou, are you ok?" she tossed over her shoulder as she scanned the trees for his attacker. 

He nodded fervently, heaving in giant breaths. "I think it was Kagura! Didn't Miroku take her down earlier?"

Sango frowned, "yes, but if Naraku gave her a shard, that wouldn't mean anything."

Another flash, blocked again by hiraikotsu. "Kirara, take us up!" She hopped onto the demon cat's back and ascended toward the stormy sky. "Shippou, can you see houshi-sama or Inuyasha?"

"Miroku is down there, holding off some strange tentacle-thing. I think he's okay, but I don't see Inu--"

A flash of lightning cut off his sentence and threw the trio back several feet in the air. Kirara lost altitude before regaining her composure.

"There!" Sango pointed toward the porch of the castle not far from Miroku's position and Kirara swept in to join him.

Another tentacle shot out and grabbed the inu-hanyou's right arm, preventing him from slashing with Tetsusaiga. 

"Hiraikotsu!" The giant boomerang sliced through the offending appendage, and Inuyasha's arm dropped quickly from the release.

"Thanks!" he shot back to his savior before raising the sword again and coming down on another tentacle. "You're gonna regret that, bastard!"

"You're " -- jump -- "welcome!" Sango evaded a more human-looking limb and jumped backward to retrieve her weapon. She scanned the area again to see Miroku running toward her.

  
"Sango! You're all right!"

She nodded. "I don't think that tentacle-monster is a puppet, houshi-sama."

"Naraku himself?" He didn't need an answer, the jaki coming off the creature was intense. "What happened to Kikyou?"

"She lost her quiver of arrows when Kagura first attacked. She is trying to retrieve them."

No sooner had Sango spoken when an arrow sizzled past their heads and implanted itself into a bubbling blob in the castle's doorway. Thunder rumbled above them as if the storm were an extension of their enemy himself, echoing his pain.

"Kikyou!" Shippou's relief distracted him from the insects that were now descending upon him. He shrieked, "kitsune bi!" and surrounded himself with the blue flames of foxfire. The creatures collided with the barrier and fell to the ground. 

"Inuyasha!" Kikyou came to stand behind the embattled hanyou and prepared another arrow. "On my count, let's join together!" She pulled back on the purifying arrow and located her target.

"One…"

Inuyasha backed off into attack stance.

"Two…"

He raised Tetsusaiga --

"THREE!"

-- and let fly "BAKURYUUHA!" as another arrow sailed alongside. The two attacks met their objective in tandem, the arrow piercing Naraku's barrier and the blade's force slicing a deep gash into the purple mass beyond.

The others took advantage of the opening Kikyou and Inuyasha had created. Miroku sent ofuda flying toward the various swinging tentacles before stabbing them with his staff while Sango hacked away with a katana. Naraku, still reeling from the arrow and fang joint attack, could not regrow the lost tentacles. His bulbous body crashed to the ground.

Shippou wanted in. "Kitsune bi!" His fox-fire lit around Naraku, enraging the evil hanyou further.

Inuyasha smirked. "Even a baby kit is stronger than you, Naraku. Might as well give up now!"

The human head of Naraku emerged, cackling. "I'll heal, half-breed, but you won't." He reared back on the lump of demon flesh that was his body and prepared to ooze jaki.

Now was her best chance. Kikyou pulled yet a third arrow from her sling and notched it. She had to take him down before he regenerated and that wouldn't take too long. Without the flailing tentacles, the miko could just barely sense the near-complete Shikon-no-Tama in the beast's center. She aimed the arrow.

Kikyou realized that hitting the sacred jewel would likely result in the same disaster her reincarnation had caused -- sending pieces flying all over the clearing. As long as he spread himself, Naraku would easily reabsorb them. She had a theory, and not long to debate testing it.

"Kikyou, what are you doing?!" Inuyasha watched as she yanked her Shikon-no-kakera from around her neck and wrapped the string around the arrow. "You're not going to send that bastard the rest of our shards?"

She ignored him, and used all her strength to pull back on the bow. _Please be right,_ she prayed silently and let the arrow fly.

The shards met their destination with a bright flash of light. Instead of shattering, the pieces clung to their mates and formed a luminescent whole with rays of cutting energy emitting from the center. The entire mass -- glass orb, Naraku's head, and the giant purple blob surrounding it all -- rose from the castle porch into the sky and trembled. Then, all at once, the blob oozed and steamed away leaving only bones and a human head. Naraku howled. His bones circled around the Shikon-no-Tama like a morbid mobile over a zombie's crib before a crack of lightning intercepted it, and shattered what was left of Naraku.

* * * * 

The thunder abated, rain stopped falling, and it was as though the earth itself heaved a deep breath of relief. Sango gazed toward Miroku, Miroku looked at Inuyasha, Inuyasha glanced at Shippou, and Shippou stared at the eyeball lying mere inches from his feet. 

"Is he gone?" 

Kikyou squinted her eyes, roaming over the scene with intent. There it was: the Shikon-no-Tama. She walked steadily toward it and grasped it into her palm. Despite its triumph over Naraku's jaki, the jewel was so heavily tainted that it remained black as night. Just holding it wasn't enough; extra measures would be needed, but it would be purified. "I have the jewel," she answered them. "Naraku is dead."


	5. Opposing Minds

Notes: 

I know you've been wanting to see Kagome -- here she is, with 60% more angst!

Disclaimer in chapter 1.

****

Releasing Your Heart: Opposing Minds

by arisu-the-pink

"Mama!" Kagome ran outside, catching up to her mother just before she reached the taxi. "We're out of sticky rice, too." 

The elder Higurashi nodded, making a mental note of it before giving her daughter a good-bye hug. "I'll be back at four to help you finish dinner. Make sure you're home when Souta gets out of school." 

Kagome nodded and, after watching her mother's taxi drive off, turned back to the house. Today would have been her father's fortieth birthday. It was a sad day -- after all, he had only died four years before -- but instead of mourning the Higurashi family spent the day celebrating his life, and enjoying each other's company. 

At the moment however, with the wind blowing in the lonely trees around her family's shine, Kagome felt only the sadness. That made two men in her life who'd abandoned her. She trudged up the stairs to her room, wishing she could find her lost diary. 

__

I wish I knew where I left it, Kagome thought to herself. She closed her eyes, a familiar prick piercing her heart. _Except I do know where I left it. The only place I haven't looked yet._

Kneeling beside her bedroom window Kagome rested her head on folded arms and gazed at the courtyard below. Her life had settled in the last year, though it never returned to the normalcy she enjoyed before her first trip down the well. Hojou continued to ask her on dates for three months after she returned, certain that her depression was the result of his attention to the freshman girl. Eventually Kagome set the boy straight, and gave him her blessing to move on. He was a sweet boy; under normal circumstances she would have been elated to date an upperclassman with his good looks.

No, Hojou could never satisfy her now. He was too sheltered. Too kind. Too… ordinary. Inuyasha roused her more primal femininity. Around him, she ached to love, to nurture, to procreate -- Kagome blushed, pushing that thought away. Her feelings for him were definitely more than friendship. _At least I don't cry anymore,_ she sighed. 

A soft breeze knocked a photograph from her desk and it floated to land beside her leg. _Father..._ Kagome closed her eyes tight, grasping the photo in her hands. With her diary missing, it was all she had left of the man. Suddenly resolute, Kagome stood from her window seat and rushed downstairs. She was going to get that book back.

* * * *

For the first time in over fifty years, the Shikon-no-Tama hung safely on its wooden shrine in the temple. Kikyou and Inuyasha stood back, barely believing their situation. They were back to square one.

"Do you still --" 

They blushed, each having spoken the same words. Kikyou looked toward the ground, willing Inuyasha to speak first. 

"Do you still want me to become human for you, Kikyou?" He searched her face for a sign but she gave him none. 

"It is the only way I know to purify the jewel," Kikyou finally stated, weakly, meeting his gaze. "But," pausing, she took his hand and started to exit the shrine. "I don't know if that is the best thing anymore." She felt the hanyou start. Once outside the temple Kikyou dropped his hand and faced him, her demeanor calm and sure. "I can't be a normal woman, Inuyasha. I don't even want to anymore." 

Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought --" 

"I did once," she answered his unfinished question. "When I was younger and immature. Before I understood the importance of my calling and came to respect my title. I can't leave that behind me, Inuyasha. I will always be a miko. You can still be human, though. It would purify the Shikon-no-tama and cleanse your soul." 

The adolescent half-demon's mind was reeling at the new information. She would always be a miko. She would always stay just out of reach.

Kikyou sighed. "We don't have to do anything about it today. Maybe you should take some time to think about it first. Once the jewel is used, your demon blood will be gone forever." 

With a short nod, Inuyasha walked off toward the village edge, his mind clouded with too many thoughts to count.

* * * *

__

Become a normal man? Inuyasha's eyes were closed, a frown on his face. _I always wanted to be full youkai, to challenge my ass of a brother and wipe the floor with his smug face. It wasn't until I met Kikyou that I even considered being human. She made me feel love for the first time._

A wind blew in from the south, heralding the changing of the seasons. It would be autumn soon and then snow would fall. _I won't feel that love as a demon, _he realized._ The first time I transformed, after destroying Goshinki, I felt only the desire to kill. I was no better than an animal then. If I become a full demon, that's all I'll be._

__

As a human I'd be free to love, though I'd come second to Kikyou's work. I don't need Tessaiga to protect her. I'll train, and get used to my weaker human body. Even as he indulged these thoughts, Inuyasha knew them to be untrue. _As a demon I can't love her, and as a human I can't protect her the way I want to._

"Ahem." Miroku's tentative coughing stole Inuyasha from his introspection.

"What do you want, Bouzou?"

Miroku faltered, though he didn't know why the attitude surprised him. Then again, didn't Inuyasha have exactly what he wanted? Naraku was defeated, Kikyou was alive and by his side, and the Shikon jewel was finally whole and in safe hands. "I just wanted to say goodbye." 

"Goodbye?" The hanyou jumped down from the fence and stood before the monk. "Where are ya going?" 

"I am returning to my village for a couple of days. The village elders requested my help in preparing for the fall festival." 

"Oh." Miroku found Inuyasha's behavior unsettling.

"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?" He leaned against the fence the half-demon had occupied and crossed his arms across his chest. "Did you and Kikyou have a fight?"

"No." Miroku was almost convinced the hanyou was going to stop there when he suddenly continued, "Kikyou still wants me to become human and I don't want to."

"I see."

"Before Naraku, we had it all planned out. I was going to use the jewel to become human and we were going to live together in the village like normal people. We thought that's what we needed to be happy."

"But?"

"Keh! She wants to stay a miko, and to keep me as her pet. I'm supposed to be a faithful little weakling while she flits around town casting spells and slaying demons. What kind of life is that for someone like me?"

He was actually asking! Miroku blinked in astonishment at the openness the hanyou displayed toward him. The monk was almost at a loss for words, but finally found his voice.

"You aren't married yet, Inuyasha. You can always refuse."

Inuyasha snorted. "I promised her my life, Miroku. My life and my soul for all eternity. I don't know how much more committed a person can get."

"You were both young? When you met, I mean?" The boy gave a curt nod. "Did you really expect your feelings to remain the same for your entire life? It is possible for love to change, Inuyasha. The feelings you have as a teenager or young adult, when you meet your first love... they can be so strong that you convince yourself this person is your soul mate. Somehow, you think, the gods have deemed you worthy of this instant connection and you are ready to give up your life for such a noble cause."

Miroku watched his friend stare off into the distance as though he were daydreaming, but the monk knew he was absorbing every word.

"It feels like being a part of heaven, doesn't it? As though you and she occupy some special place outside the rest of the world and even in the worst moments you ignore all the bad because this is meant to be. But you know what? It isn't always right. People have to grow, and sometimes they grow apart. That doesn't mean you have to stop being friends, it just means you have to stop being naïve.

"When someone truly loves you, they want what's best for you. They don't ask you to change for them, or to be anything less than you are."

Inuyasha remained silent, various thoughts and emotions still raging in his thick skull. Miroku stood up from the fence and coughed again. "Well my friend, I really must be going. I hope you find the answers you're looking for."

* * * *

The well house was dark and damp from the late summer rains. As Kagome approached her destination, a feeling of intense apprehension gripped her. _I'll go back, and ask Kaede if she has my diary. I'm sure they wouldn't have thrown it away. Unless... unless Inuyasha disposed of it. Perhaps Kikyou would have asked him to._ Kagome plopped down beside the well, a pensive expression on her face. _He never did say goodbye, _she remembered sadly. _Maybe he was angry with me when I left. He's probably completely forgotten me._

Tears began to well up in her eyes for the first time in a month. "Kagome stop it!" she scolded herself, a frustrated hand grabbing at the dirt floor beneath her. Blinking away the unwanted emotions Kagome felt something smooth beneath her fingers. The dirt by the well was covering something. 

She dug quickly, the rest of the box was uncovered in mere minutes. _How long has this been here?_ It appeared quite ancient, and the lock that sealed it was rusted past function. She ripped it off with ease and slowly opened the lid.

"My diary."

The implications of her find weighed on her heavily. _I never went back,_ she realized. _The diary stayed in Sengoku Jidai and was buried._

"It's just as well," Kagome spoke aloud in a vain attempt to comfort herself. "Now I don't have to bother Kaede to find it. I won't ruin the happiness between Inuyasha and Kikyou." The tears fell once more, unstoppable, as she finally swallowed the truth. _I will never see him again._


	6. Best of Friends

A Few Notes:

I'm thrilled to see so many people enjoying the story. HMPrune suggested some Sango/Miroku interaction and I would have loved to include that pairing. However, I didn't feel I could do both couples justice without adding too much length to the story and dragging it out endlessly. There is an indirect reference to their relationship in the next chapter, used to help Kagome see the light. Hopefully that will be satisfactory for my S/M readers :-)

On with the show!

**Releasing Your Heart:** Best of Friends

by arisu-the-pink

When Inuyasha found her, Kikyou was tossing a ball toward a small group of village children. She seemed to sense his approach before he spoke a word and shooed the children away, seating herself beside a gurgling fountain.

"You've decided." The little girls took their ball and ran off, leaving Kikyou and Inuyasha alone in the courtyard. 

Inuyasha nodded, though Kikyou was still watching the youngsters. "I can't stop being who I am, Kikyou." He took a seat beside the miko and stared into the water beside them. "I used to hate being a hanyou – contemptible to humans and scorned by demons. Over the last few years though, I too have grown. To become human would be to deny my heart every bit as much as becoming a demon." He fell silent, nervously awaiting her response. 

"Years ago, you and I were the same: two beings outside of our kind, seeking to belong and be loved. Now, we've both accepted ourselves and become better for it." Kikyou met the hanyou's eyes with a soft and bittersweet smile. "I release you, Inuyasha." 

"Kikyou?" 

"I can't hold your heart and life in my hands when I have no need of them. Instead, share them with someone who will appreciate the gift and honor it. I will always be your friend." She reached a hand out to him which he took in stunned silence.

A great weight was suddenly lifted from his shoulders. His passion for her had disappeared in the last year, replaced by something more pure and steady. Perhaps they were never meant to be anything more than friends. "As I will always be yours," he finally answered her, matching her smile with his own before releasing her hand. 

"The Shikon-no-Tama," Kikyou began, "must still be purified. Watching over it in this state is a full-time job." 

"Can't we exorcise it or something?" 

"If that were possible, I would have attempted it years ago. As long as the Shikon-no-Tama remains here, tainted with even the slightest evil, those seeking its power will continue to pursue it." 

An idea came to Inuyasha, one which he quickly debated in his mind before voicing. "What if the sacred jewel were hidden from demons; in a place where they don't exist?" 

Kikyou followed his train of thought and nodded. "Yes, if it were taken away the village would be safe from its influence and," she added with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, "this particular Shikon jewel came from her time anyway. It's only right that it should be returned. Come with me, Inuyasha." 

The pair, eager to resolve the danger the Jewel of the Four Souls presented, rushed toward the temple. Kikyou lifted it from its resting place and pressed it into her former love's hand. "I don't know what kind of barriers they have in Kagome's time but surely it will be safer there. Please tell her to use a ward on its housing, as extra protection." 

Inuyasha's face fell into a frown. _I can't be the one to tell her,_ he panicked. _I can't see her now, not after so long._

Again Kikyou seemed to read his mind. "Your parting may have been cold but surely she has forgiven you. Was your bond with the girl that weak?" She turned the hanyou toward the door, leading him through it. "Go to her. She will need your guidance." 

Inuyasha stood fast in the doorway. "It's not that," he began. "I hurt her deeply, Kikyou. I wanted her to be able to move on and if I succeeded, I can't take that peace away from her. No doubt she's fallen in love, is surrounded by loyal friends, and busy studying for those tests she always talked about. It would be wrong of me to pop back into her life as though the last year were a dream." 

"You want to see her, Inuyasha, and you're only deceiving yourself if you deny it," Kikyou stated firmly. "The decision is yours. As long as the Shikon-no-tama is removed from our time, I am content." She brushed his arm with light affection and then left him standing with the orb in hand. 

* * * *

"Sango! Where are you going?" Shippou bounded down the path Sango had made in the high meadow grasses. He caught up to her as she stood mere feet from the Bone Eater's Well. 

"I've been sent on a mission," she answered the kitsune, revealing the precious cargo she held in her hand. "Inuyasha asked me to return the Shikon-no-Tama to Kagome's time for safe-keeping." 

Shippou's eyes widened. "I thought he was going to become a full human or demon?" 

Sango sat down on the ground to study the sacred jewel. "So did I, but we were wrong. He refused to tell me what happened, but I am certain he and Kikyou parted ways." 

"They broke up?" The fox cub was thoroughly confused. "I thought he gave her his life? That's why he sent Kagome home, isn't it? If he doesn't want to be with Kikyou, then why doesn't he give her the Shikon-no-tama himself?" 

Patting Shippou's head affectionately, Sango stood up again. "Because, Shippou-chan, Inuyasha is finally behaving like the man he wants to be." At his raised eyebrow, Sango laughed. "You'll understand when you are older, little one. Now return to the village and I will be back soon." 

Shippou pouted. "I want to see Kagome, too." 

"We can't both go, I'm sorry. But I will say hello to her for you, okay? Now go, before it becomes dark." 

The little fox, though a full demon, was quite afraid of the beings who wandered the night so with no further argument he whisked off into the forest. Sango took a deep breath, fear of the unknown before her speeding her pulse and weakening her limbs. With eyes closed, she jumped into the well and disappeared.


	7. A Shoulder to Cry On

Ready for more Kagome torture? Mu ha ha – read on…

****

Releasing Your Heart: A Shoulder to Cry On

by arisu-the-pink

Sango's first clue that her trip had been successful was the stench of modern-day pollution. She recalled Inuyasha whining about how it offended his sensitive nose and had to admit the hanyou wasn't exaggerating. Her second clue was the presence of an old man in strange clothing peering down at her from above.

"Demon be gone!" He threw small pieces of paper at her, which Sango recognized as demon wards. The man backed away from the well, an angry look on his face.

"I assure you, I'm not a demon." Sango climbed the walls of the well, finally jumping out of it to stand before the gentleman. _This must be Kagome's grandfather,_ she realized with amusement. Kagome had told many stories about the eccentric old man. "I am a friend of Kagome's from the Sengoku Jidai. I have come to return something to her." Deciding it was safe Sango held out her hand to reveal the Shikon-no-Tama. 

"Shikon-no-Tama!" Grandfather's eyes widened. The woman seemed harmless enough. If she were a demon, his wards surely would have disabled her by now. "Kagome is in the house. Come with me."

The walk across the shrine courtyard filled Sango with a mixture of fear and wonder. True, the air was tainted with that pungent, gassy stench. Yet the view she gaped from beyond the fence was awe-inspiring. Such large towers! Were all the inhabitants of Kagome's world wealthy lords? 

Moments later she found herself standing in the Higurashi kitchen where the smells were far more familiar and delicious. Sango instantly recognized the petite seventeen-year-old standing at what appeared to be a small waterfall. "Kagome-chan! I've found you!"

__

That voice! Could it be? Kagome turned around quickly, dropping her knife into the sink. The corners of her mouth rose into a bright smile at the sight of her old girlfriend. "Sango-chan! It really is you!" The two friends embraced and the old man excused himself to the living room. 

"Sango-chan," Kagome suddenly sobered as various frightening thoughts flew through her mind, "why are you here? Has something happened?"

"Yes, but something quite wonderful." She again held out her hand, this time dropping its contents into Kagome's palm. "The Shikon-no-Tama."

__

So it's over, Kagome stared, amazed, at the orb she now held. _But what about --_ "Naraku?" She wiped her free hand on her apron and led Sango to the kitchen table, seating herself across from the other young woman.

"Inuyasha and Kikyou got their revenge," Sango answered as she tested Kagome's reaction. For a fleeting moment she thought she read a flicker of -- what? Regret? Sadness? The hint of emotion was quickly replaced by a neutral mask of interest. Sango plodded on. "Naraku cast off his human heart, but it wasn't enough. When we defeated his attachments and others abandoned him he was left unguarded. I believe seeing Kikyou and Inuyasha working together to defeat him was the final straw." Still no reaction from Kagome. Was the girl over him that easily?

"I'm almost done with dinner," Kagome said quickly, rising again from her seat. "Let's go upstairs to my room. I want to hear all about the others. How is Shippou-chan?"

"He's well," Sango replied shocked by her friend's indifference to the battle with Naraku. "Just several days ago he was telling us that he wanted to grow up to be like Inuyasha. He's gotten so much taller, Kagome-chan. You'd be so proud of him."

"And Miroku? Still patting your ass inappropriately?" Kagome winked at the other girl, knowing full well that Sango didn't mind the lecher as much as she once had. 

Blushing, Sango crossed her arms and hugged herself. "Yes, though maybe not entirely inappropriately." She chuckled at Kagome's dazed expression. "We haven't made our intentions public," she explained, "but I agreed to marry Miroku. Mind you, I don't like him to do that in front of others; it's quite rude. Still, if he is to be my husband..."

"I wish I could be at your wedding," Kagome sighed dreamily. Then she sobered. "Well, I'll just congratulate you now, Sango-chan. I'm sure you will both be very happy together." The Shikon-no-Tama, still lying in her hand, drew Kagome's attention. "Sango-chan, why did you come here?"

__

Time for the difficult questions, Sango sighed. "The Shikon-no-Tama is still unpurified. In this state, it still draws attention from the same demons we had to defeat while gathering its shards. Kikyou and Inuyasha hoped that in your time without demons, the jewel might be safer."

__

Still unpurified? Kagome looked into the glass orb and sensed the tinge of darkness hiding within. _Inuyasha did not become a human. Why?_

Watching the younger woman's face, Sango read her thoughts. "Kagome-chan, Inuyasha and Kikyou --" she halted when Kagome's head shot up. Was it her place to tell? If Inuyasha wanted Kagome to know, he would have come himself to give her the jewel. To share his heart with her and bring her back to them. "Inuyasha and Kikyou wanted me to tell you to place a ward around Shikon-no-Tama," she finished with downcast eyes. It wasn't a lie, at least.

"Oh." Kagome reached into her bedside table and pulled out an old velvet jewelry box, removing the cheap charm bracelet it held and tossing it aside. The Jewel of Four Souls fit perfectly inside. "Thank you, Sango-chan. I'll make sure to do that tonight." She sighed, and then mentally swept away the clouds in her head. "Will you stay to dinner?"

It would be rude to refuse, Sango thought. "Thank you Kagome-chan. I would be honored."

* * * *

Later that night, with a heavy heart, Kagome walked her dear friend to the well-house. "Sango-chan, please send my best wishes to everyone."

"I will, Kagome-chan. Shippou wanted so much to come but I had to send him back to Kaede." For the hundredth time that night, Sango agonized over the one thing she hadn't told Kagome. _He still loves her. I've heard her name escape his deepest sleep._ Sango didn't share these thoughts. "Did I tell you what happened after I promised myself to Miroku-sama?"

Kagome shook her head, stunned by the sudden change of topic.

"It had been raining all day and I was mad at him for spending it indoors flirting with the village women," she began, looking off into a dark corner of the hut. "For a whole week I ignored him, and he avoided me. I was, of course, mad about the flirting, and he was just afraid to get in another argument. So we stopped speaking and even after our anger and fear disappeared, neither of us could ignore our pride."

Sango noticed Kagome staring blankly into the same corner she'd been so intently studying. A small glimmer of light caught on Kagome's moist eyes. Sango continued. "Shippou fell ill with a cold on the next rainy day and the others were scouting Naraku's hideaway so I went alone into the forest to gather healing herbs. On the way back to the village the rain stopped and I caught the most beautiful rainbow. My mother used to tell me that a rainbow is a blessing from the gods on the love of two people when they stand together beneath it. As I was considering this, Miroku came searching for me. He was worried that I'd been hurt and apologized for dishonoring me; I too apologized for my childish reaction. Unfortunately the rainbow disappeared before our words were spoken." 

The miko was still far away, but Sango knew she was listening. "I was sad; we lost what could have been a rare and beautiful moment because we let jealousy and fear rule our hearts. You never know, Kagome, which rainbow will be your last."

Sango stood straighter, adjusting the backpack of ramen and bandages she carried. "Well, I should be going back now; the others will be worried. Take care, Kagome-chan." She lifted herself down into the well, Kagome still lost in her thoughts. _Please come back to us,_ the taijiya added as the magical darkness enveloped her. 

* * * *

Small in its surroundings, the glass orb appeared nothing more than an innocent bauble. Kagome touched its glass case gently and considered how that tiny jewel had impacted her life so greatly. It would be safe here, in the monks' shrine. They knew of the Shikon-no-Tama from their ancient texts, though they questioned the one who bore it to them. In the end, with a great deal of explanation and a small proof of her powers, Kagome convinced the monks to protect the jewel in a way she knew she could not. Besides, as a piece of her country's history, it belonged to the public. Here, away from the portal to the past, the jewel could be admired safely.

Back at home Kagome lay on her soft bed, holding the picture of her father again. She remembered the words of her mother beneath the Goshinboku almost two years ago. Her father had proposed below the tree, as Kagome once dared to dream Inuyasha would promise himself to her. Her throat constricted once again and Kagome wished she could seek solace in the memories of her beloved father. She wanted her diary back. She needed it back.

The old, tattered version she'd uncovered only days before was almost completely decomposed, its writing illegible. She fingered the cover, indecision warring in her mind. _Can I go back? Without the Shikon-no-Tama, perhaps the well won't let me pass._ Kagome dressed herself in a warm sweater and stuffed a candy bar into her pocket. If it let her, she would seek out Shippou and bribe his silence with the chocolate candy. The kitsune would know where the diary was, if it wasn't already buried.

Reaching the well at last, Kagome hesitated again. _What if he's there?_ Inuyasha's image flooded her mind, his voice echoing in her ears.

__

"Don't be a fool, baka... Keh! Why would I care if you go, wench?... I'll protect you, Kikyou."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Kagome willed the thoughts away. As they passed, she opened her eyes again, and forced herself into the well.


	8. Must be Brave

And then there were two (chapters, that is). Sorry, but this one is pretty short.

Just a quick note on possible future works -- 

I have a couple of story ideas that I'd love to develop, but it may be a while before I can get started. I just got a new job and it's going to be taking up a lot of time, so either I will pre-write the story before posting as I did this one, or I can post directly to fan fiction.net but then the updates will be much slower.

Without giving too much detail, the first is a "the baby of Inuyasha and Kagome" story with a new angst-ridden twist. Actually, given the amount of Inuyasha stories out there it's probably been done but then so has this story :-) The second is a "courtship of Kagome" story using an idea that I haven't seen yet (but then I've only read about 300 fanfics out of the 17,000+ on this site!).

Given the positive reactions I've received from this story, I definitely intend to write at least one of the above, it's just a matter of finding the time. Enough babbling: Chapter 8.

****

Releasing Your Heart: Must be Brave

by arisu-the-pink

The sun still shone on the meadows surrounding the Bone Eater's Well when Kagome climbed to the surface, but she knew it would begin its decent soon. There was no time to reminisce; she had to be quick. All around her, late summer blooms scattered their fragrance into the air while birds chirped their evening lullabies. Kagome felt like she'd come home after a twenty year coma. The feeling was so wonderfully bittersweet.

"Kagome." 

She recognized that voice and her heart sank. "Kikyou?" 

"Kagome-sama, the Shikon-no-Tama -- where is it?" Kikyou's face held an expression of concern and surprise at seeing the young woman. Had Inuyasha gone in Sango's stead? Surely he would have mentioned it to her?

"I left it in the care of Buddhist monks in the city. It is far from the well, and in the view of the public. I'm sure no one will dare to steal it."

Kikyou was satisfied with her response, and turned to more puzzling issues. "If the jewel is safe, then why did you return?"

The younger miko blanched. "I -- I left something here long ago. It's just a book, nothing too significant but it had pictures and memories of my father in it. Don't worry, I won't be staying long."

__

She doesn't know about Inuyasha and I, Kikyou realized. _Sango didn't see it fit to tell her. Curious._ She cocked a head in thought, remembering. Inuyasha had been hoarding some odd-looking paper tablet with writing, and though he obviously meant for it to be a secret Kikyou had witnessed him studying it on many occasions. "I believe I've seen this book of yours. Inuyasha's home is the hut in the far right corner of the village, nearest the temple. He keeps a pink journal under a baseboard in the back room, beneath the window." The miko straightened up and searched the other woman for an emotional response. She was rewarded with a heated blush as the girl started to stammer.

"I- I couldn't g-go into your home, Kikyou. Would you please bring it to me?" 

Kikyou almost laughed at the younger woman's embarrassment. "I would take you myself, but I am due at a birth in the next village," she explained. "And Kagome-sama -- Inuyasha and I are not mates. We are only friends." She smiled the first warm grin Kagome had ever seen her smile. 

"Our time has passed and with it any passionate feelings either of us may have held. Perhaps it was always meant to be this way, we will never know. Regardless, his heart hasn't been mine for quite some time now." Without waiting for further reaction Kikyou walked off toward the east, leaving a stunned Kagome standing under the late afternoon sky. 

* * * *

Having gathered her wits, Kagome now found herself at the back right border of Kaede's village, trembling at what she might find inside the hut before her. She'd successfully evaded the villagers, most of whom would quickly recognize her as the reincarnation of their beloved Kikyou. Her stealth even won her safe passage past Kaede's hut, the wise old woman being quite sensitive to noise and highly aware of her surroundings. Steeling herself, Kagome pushed aside the straw mat covering the entrance to the modest hut and found--

Nothing. 

The hearth was still, it's cauldron emptied of food for the time. Four neatly made futons along the side wall awaited their sleepers. Inuyasha did not live here alone, Kagome realized. From her conversation with Sango she surmised the group remained together, unwilling to break up their small family. Upon further inspection, Kagome found proof in Shippou's coloring pencils tossed carelessly beside one of the futons. 

Despite the emptiness, Kagome felt his presence here, wrapping around her like a warm blanket. She could smell the scent of trees and musk that so uniquely identified him to her. This was definitely Inuyasha's home, even if Inuyasha did not currently occupy it. He would no doubt return soon though, so Kagome rushed quickly to the baseboard Kikyou had indicated and tugged at it lightly.

The board lifted easily enough, sending up a small cloud of dust from the dirt beneath it. The hidden compartment below was as empty as the hut in which she sat. Had the miko lied to her? No, that would have been pointless, Kagome realized. So where was her diary?

__

"His heart hasn't been mine for quite some time now." 

Kikyou's words rang in Kagome's ears. He'd kept her diary here, even after she left him forever. Why? What did he want with memoirs of her father, and her deepest thoughts and confessions? 

The last scarlet strains of daylight filtered into the window and at last faded into darkness. Kagome lost her nerve. The diary wasn't here; if she was lucky, she could still find Shippou and bribe him to search for her. She would come back in the morning to retrieve it from him.

Satisfied with this plan, Kagome stood, turned to the door, and froze.

"Kagome."


	9. Reconciling, In His Arms

Notes:

Well here it is, the final chapter. I had to do a rather extensive re-write of the waffy scene, but I think it turned out ok. I hope so, anyway, because I'd hate to ruin the buildup with a poorly written piece of fluff. Inuyasha might be a bit OOC here, but I choose to think of it as a sign of Kikyou's influence on him, not to mention the kick-in-the-pants Kagome's absence provided.

As I said before, there is an epilogue available to those who are 17 or older. I will include a more comprehensive author's note after this chapter answering any questions I receive and in that note I will provide you with the URL for that epilogue. Be warned -- it may take a few days.

Here we go...

****

Releasing Your Heart: Reconciling, In His Arms

by arisu-the-pink

"Kagome..." his whisper, filled with an eclectic mixture of pain, joy, and confusion carried lightly over the evening breeze. 

She could do nothing. Nothing but stand before the hanyou and stare into his searching eyes. For seemingly endless seconds they gazed at each other, neither ready to break the silence that fell between them. Both afraid to ruin the one chance at happiness each hoped was there for the taking. 

Kagome's courage was spent; Inuyasha made the first move. "You came back," he noted cautiously, seeking an answer from the young woman who stood stock-still only feet away from him. 

"Y-yes. I... I needed my d-diary." Her legs, her arms, even her head refused to move. It was as though she were paralyzed by the fear that coursed through her body. 

Inuyasha reached into his haori, pulling the small pink book from its resting place. Closing the gap between them slowly he offered it to her. Kagome made no move to take it, so he dropped his hand and backed away to study her again. Had it been so long? 

He was so close... Finally winning the battle against her nerves, Kagome found her voice again. "How is Shippou-chan?" she asked meekly. S_tupid, stupid baka!_ she scolded herself. _A whole year and all I can ask him is 'how is Shippou'?_

"He's fine, growing up fast," Inuyasha answered, his eyes never leaving hers. _Does she know? Did Sango tell her?_

"And Miroku? Did the curse of the kazaana disappear?" _Is it true, Inuyasha? Are you done with Kikyou?_

"Yes, almost instantly." _Why did you come, Kagome?_

"Sango says they'll be marrying soon," Kagome spoke with a plea in her voice. _What is that look in in your eyes, Inuyasha?_

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered, not hearing her words. The silence fell again. 

"I met Kikyou, Inuyasha. She told me... that you are friends." 

The intense gaze they were sharing finally became uncomfortable. Inuyasha turned away, casting a look to the ground. _So it was Kikyou who told. Was she giving Kagome her blessing?_ "Hai," he answered, "we are friends." 

Before Kagome could question him further, a shriek caught her by surprise. "Kagome, you came back!" Shippou bounded toward her, leapt into her arms, and knocked her over. 

"Shippou-chan, you've gotten so big!" She hugged the kitsune, never letting Inuyasha out of her sight. 

"Sango makes me eat double now so I can be big and strong, right?" 

The demon exterminator nodded, glancing from Kagome to Inuyasha and back. What had she interrupted? 

"Sango, I left some rabbit outside, there should be enough for all of us. I -- I need to go wash up," he lied, quickly backing out of the hut. 

"Kagome-chan, will you help me with dinner?" There was palpable tension in the small hut, though it held a hint of joy. Perhaps a small distraction would help the younger woman relax. 

Kagome nodded, finally dragging her eyes away from the doorway. "Yes, of course." 

* * * *

__

She came back? Inuyasha wondered in awe. _Could she have missed me as much as I did her? She must have someone in her world..._ He was running blindly through the forest, no destination in mind but desperately needing to get away. His heart threatened to burst from his chest at the possibilities before him. 

__

I'm not going to screw this up, he vowed, finally coming to a halt at the Goshinboku tree. The tree where Kikyou had sealed him and Kagome released him so long ago. It seemed as though his fate was intricately linked within its roots. Inuyasha sighed, considering his situation. He would have to talk to her – tonight – before she could run off again. He would finally tell her the things he tried so hard to hide because he was afraid of appearing weak. 

A buzz in the forest snapped him into attention. Myouga appeared on his nose, helping himself to dinner. "Inuyasha-sama, what are you doing out here so late alone?"

"Taking some time for myself, baka," he snapped back, swatting at the flea.

"Is something wrong, Lord Inuyasha?" Myouga settled himself onto his master's knee. 

"Kagome came back." 

"Ah, you must protect your mate from Kagome's jealousy, yes?"

"Baka, I have no mate! Kikyou and I separated several days ago," Inuyasha shot back, earning a stunned expression from his vassal. "When I came home today, Kagome was just -- there." 

"What are you going to do?" 

Closing his hands into fists, Inuyasha glared at the tree and growled in self-loathing. "What I should have done a year ago." 

* * * *

"Just like old times!" Shippou shoveled chopsticks full of rice into his mouth, dripping bits of sauce all over the floor. 

"Shippou-chan! Don't talk with your mouth full!" Sango cast a warning glance in his direction, causing the kitsune to shrink back. Turning her attention to the others, she dipped back into the pot besider her. "Seconds anyone?" 

Kagome shook her head. She couldn't eat a bite, save the small amout she took to be polite. Glancing across the room, she found Inuyasha in a similar state. Since returning from his errand, he'd judiciously stayed as far from her as possible, keeping his eyes low to the ground. _Maybe I was imagining things,_ Kagome started to panic, a feeling of dread invading her stomach. _Why won't he look at me?_

As dinner ended and she helped Sango clean up for the night, Kagome felt more and more certain she'd made the wrong decision. _I shouldn't have come._

A full moon was rising in the eastern sky when Sango and Shippou crawled into their futons, ready for a night's rest. Sango had offered her Miroku's empty futon for the night, which she was now beginning to crawl into. No sooner had she pulled the blanket aside when she felt a hand rest heavily on her shoulder. "Walk with me, Kagome." 

Wordlessly, she followed the hanyou out of his home and through the village, stopping finally at the edge of a stream running along its outer borders. Inuyasha hopped onto a boulder and settled into a squat.

"You've changed," Kagome stated carefully, listening to the chirping of crickets along the path. 

"Have I?" Inuyasha gazed up at the sky, pondering her words. "Maybe a little. It was a difficult year." 

"I wish I could have helped defeat Naraku. I feel like I missed out."

"I don't. I didn't want you there."

Tears formed in Kagome's eyes. _Of course not, he had Kikyou_. "I suppose I wouldn't have been that useful," she agreed sadly.

After a moment, Inuyasha turned his attention back to the girl -- woman -- beside him. "No, Kagome. I was glad that you were safe. 

"If Kikyou'd died at Naraku's hands again, I would have been sad. But Kagome... if something had happened to you, I wouldn't have survived the night." He noticed the glisten of tears on her cheek and cursed himself silently. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I shouldn't be saying these things. I gave up any chance I may have had at a life with you and I'm sure your mate wouldn't appreciate my saying these things to you."

He thought she was taken? Kagome blinked, realizing why he'd been so distant that evening. Before she could say a word, Inuyasha spoke again.

"Kikyou and I met at a time when I was alone in the world. As months passed I came to care for her deeply, and of course some part of me desired her as any seventeen-year-old desires a woman. Thing is, I never questioned what I felt for her. My mother died when I was just a kid and so I didn't really have anyone to ask. All I knew was that we shared a bond of some sort. Both of us were a world apart from the people around us. We were outcasts in our own ways. I guess we understood each other and at the time that was enough." 

"And now?" Kagome needed to hear his story, even as Kikyou's name brought pain to her heart. 

"There was the Shikon-no-tama to complete, that took up a good deal of our time. Kikyou was so focused on that. As time went on, I realized how different she was from me, and from you. I love Kikyou..."

The tears ran fresh down the young miko's face even as she tried to swallow them back.

"but Kagome, I am *in love* with you."

She felt her heart stop. "You..."

Inuyasha closed his eyes. He had to get it all out before he could hear her rejection. He owed her that much. "Kikyou opened my heart up to emotions I shut out and I wouldn't be who I am today if not for her. But that kind of love isn't enough to last a lifetime. There are things a man needs to feel that were missing. I needed..."

"excitement?" Kagome volunteered, still reeling from his words. _Did I really hear him say he loved me?_

Inuyasha opened his eyes again and gazed at her, marvelling at how well she understood him. "Yes, excitement. It's stupid, but I really missed the way we would fight. How cute you look when you get angry and start to yell at me, or right before you tell me to sit -- I even missed that." He sighed. "Again, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be speaking to you like this but I thought you deserved the truth."

Kagome heard the sadness in his voice and took his hands. The hanyou blushed at the contact. "Inuyasha, there is no one else. There could never be another man who makes me feel the way I feel when I'm with you." 

Her words sent a jolt of ecstacy through him. "H-How do you feel, Kagome?" 

"I feel like I'm one turn away from some thrilling adventure, never knowing where I'll end up. Except..." 

"Except what?" 

Kagome was frightened by the desire she felt when she pulled Inuyasha off of his perch and threw herself into his arms. He responded instantly, wrapping himself around her and taking in the scent of her hair. "Except when I'm in your arms, Inuyasha. I feel completely safe and at peace. I feel like I've come home." 

"Kagome..." It was too good to be true, but maybe... Inuyasha recognized the old fear rising, but pushed it away. _I'm going to see this through._ The bright moon above surrounded them with an almost ethereal haze. He caught her eyes again, seeking permission from within their brown depths. Permission was granted. 

His face descended toward hers and he kissed her, gently at first, then slowly the tension of the evening rushed into his blood like a fever that only Kagome could cure. Their kiss deepened, threatening to steal them away in a monsoon of emotion. There was something he was forgetting... 

"Kagome," he whispered her name against her lips, pulling back just enough to look upon her face. She was completely relaxed in his arms, her face soft and pale in the dim night. "Aishiteru, Kagome." 

Slowly returning from the heavenly place she'd been, Kagome took in the warmth and joy in his golden eyes as they pierced into her soul. "I love you too, Inu-chan." 

A shooting star made its trek across the starlit sky above the embracing couple, and the world around them slept on. At last, two pure and courageous souls were complete.

The End.


End file.
